Supplemental sensor modes and systems for ultrasonic transducers

• Main Authors: Berger, Renata Melamud, Daneman, Michael, Apte, Nikhil
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.10.2019
• Subjects: FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL; GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS IN GENERAL; METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICALVIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING

A Piezoelectric Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (PMUT) device is provided. The PMUT includes a substrate and an edge support structure connected to the substrate. A membrane is connected to the edge support structure such that a cavity is defined between the membrane and the substrate, where the membrane configured to allow movement at ultrasonic frequencies. The membrane comprises a piezoelectric layer and first and second electrodes coupled to opposing sides of the piezoelectric layer. For operation in a Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) mode, a third electrode is disposed on the substrate and separated by an air gap in the cavity from the second electrode. Also provided are an integrated MEMS array, a method for operating an array of PMUT/CMUT dual-mode devices, and a PMUT/CMUT dual-mode device.